Yesterday we played “J-fest”. These are some brief thoughts:
1. What’s really interesting about the Evangelical worship scene is that is can have an adverse affect on artists during the summer festivals. Take for the example the song “Blessed Be The Name” by Matt Redman. This song has been a hit by the band Tree 63 and sung in probably almost every evangelical church across the nation. An artist that played before us today at “J-Fest” used this song. Many artists in CMI (Christian Music Industry) are using commonplace worship songs in their set to help people engage in their shows with a song that they know. What is funny about this is that you can hear this song in the morning worship set by the latest worship rock star, then have another artist use it during the afternoon set and then finally if Matt Redman is the headline artist of the night he is going to do it. Or should he? It seems kind of weird to me that you would hear this song three different times during the day at a festival an then the guy who actually wrote it would have to face a dilemma on whether to play it or not for fear of seeming redundant. There is always a place for a good cover song, but I think we have crossed the line with our endless "covering" of worship songs by CMI artists.
2. The guys in the band told me a story today about a guitar player named Ryan Truso who once just to make a point between songs at a Christian festival, just yelled out two full sentences of complete gibberish that was utterly incoherent, but at the end tacked on a big “JESUS”!! People went wild. This was just to prove the point that most “Christian” crowds will go nuts simply at the name of Jesus without any context. Not that the name of Jesus is not something to get excited about but it was meant to show that most people are not really listening for content, but simply looking for the next “Jesus buzz” or a means to do some “Jesus freebasing”. This leads me to what I saw today and see at almost every show that we do. In our set we have a song called “More”. It’s a song that has been Matthew’s biggest hit. It was number one for nine weeks straight in the summer of 2004. The chorus is written as God talking to us as his children and He says, “I love you more than the sun, and the stars that I taught how to shine, you are mine and you shine for me too. I love yesterday and today and tomorrow I’ll say it again and again, I love you more” This is NOT a worship song, but people will throw their hands up and close their eyes almost every time we play this song. Has “hands up and eyes closed” just turned into a posture that signifies an emotive experience that is taking place? Probably in some circles, but on the other hand I just don’t think the people are really listening.
3. There’s always something that strikes me as weird about a huge line of people who want the artist’s autograph after the show. The whole idea of a Christian celebrity seems a bit backwards, but probably unavoidable for those who are, thus it's no fault of their own. To be sure, Jesus was seens as a celebrity of sorts but usually for the wrong reasons and at the end he was left utterly alone to die as a hated criminal. Most artists would say that their desire would be to have the people leave with feeling pointed to God in some real way. I know there is not anything really inherently wrong with wanting someone’s autograph, but I fear that the long autograph line is somehow a testimony to what ultimately the Christian Music Industry is about: Christians being entertained. To quote Jerry Seinfeld, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that”. But if we are going to try and make Jesus the main centerpiece shouldn’t all that we do as an artist really try and point to that? If we are going to entertain and we know that up front, why not just leave Jesus out? Should Jesus be our means to entertainment? Or better yet, instead of having our nice Christian commune at the summer festivals, why not have all the Christians forget the Christians entertainment and get entertained at the secular festivals and seek to be salt and light there? Maybe I’ve gone too far here and I think I am leading myself down a dark road that ultimately says that Christian music, generally speaking, has no real significant place whatsoever in terms of a lasting kingdom impact. Do I really feel that way? Probably not, but that is beyond the scope of this post. I could be off here, but for sure much of it could go away and I don’t think it would really be that big of a deal. I probably shouldn’t bite the hand that is feeding, but these are just things I am thinking about as I encounter them as a member of the Christian Music Industry.
9 comments:
wow. thanks for enlightening me. i never realized that people responding enthusiastically to the name of Jesus, and worshiping during a song that is not a "certified by Zach" worship song are both negative actions. and you said that you weren't used to MY negative sarcasm. guess nashville has gotten to you as well.
cool article man. AND it does make sense. sort of begs the question of what are they doing with their eyes closed or thinking about/worshiping during those songs. and don't worry about anonymous' comment. they didn't have enough guts to put their name anyway...peace
well, i didn't say my name because i didn't need to. zach knew who it was and i didn't think that adding "john p" to it would be a massive display of my "guts". but let's continue this lively discussion if we may, in love. perhaps those people are closing their eyes in an attempt to focus on God by blocking out distractions. do you think it is more honorable for them to leave their eyes open and stare at the band, elevated and in rock star attire before them? i'm not saying that every person in the audience is responding out of a fully regenerated heart with perfect motives and theologically correct responses, i'm just asking why must we be critical of them at all? is anything accomplished by this other than sowing more cynicism and judgement? isn't this about what's going on in their heart? if it's someone you don't personally know, how can you judge that? i just find it ironic that bands play these festivals most often for what they can get out of it (the honorarium, merch sales, exposure)and not that there's anything wrong with making a buck off the faithful, but then to judge the hearts of people who appear to be celebrating Jesus? on what grounds and why?
john, sorry to come across like a jerk. that wasn't my intention. it just felt like a pretty strong criticism with no name....just wanted to encourage my friend zach.
i get what you're saying about why they might be closing their eyes, but might it not be important to really think about what we're saying if we are truly worshiping? i'm not about judging what's going on in people's hearts....that's God's job. but doesn't our worship need to be "informed?"
agreed. totally. our study of the word gives us a deeper understanding of the nature and character of God which should allow us to more genuinely worship God, "in spirit and truth". perhaps we should have worship AFTER the sermon rather than before. but again, how do we really know that they aren't doing this? and where are YOU zach? jump in on all this, yo!!!
Johnny Boy,
You are funny. I love it when my friends get crazy on my blog!
Here is my point - I think God desires for his people to be pursing and living truth in Him and about HIm and then response to it with our lives. I get the (i could be wrong here) sense that some people, myself included at times, just get lost in the hype. My blog is probably just a call to be aware of the issue.
If people are not listening and then someone yells Jesus and people spaz, then what is the previous sentences were as follows: "You want to know who and idiot is: JESUS!!!" We need to be listening to content and thinking about it.
Second, Matthew West's song is not a worship song! Now can people close their eyes and lift their hands when they are not in worship. Sure, but those actions together are the universal signs of "Hey I'm worshipping" in today's culture. So I don't think I'm being that judgemental of them.
thoughts?
Johnny Boy,
You are funny. I love it when my friends get crazy on my blog!
Here is my point - I think God desires for his people to be pursing and living truth in Him and about HIm and then response to it with our lives. I get the (i could be wrong here) sense that some people, myself included at times, just get lost in the hype. My blog is probably just a call to be aware of the issue.
If people are not listening and then someone yells Jesus and people spaz, then what is the previous sentences were as follows: "You want to know who and idiot is: JESUS!!!" We need to be listening to content and thinking about it.
Second, Matthew West's song is not a worship song! Now can people close their eyes and lift their hands when they are not in worship. Sure, but those actions together are the universal signs of "Hey I'm worshipping" in today's culture. So I don't think I'm being that judgemental of them.
thoughts?
Well, it seems that by officially recognizing raised hands as "universal signs of "Hey I'm worshiping" in today's culture." you yourself participate in the marginalization of scriptures such as, "and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" or "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD." or "may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." it kind of seems biblical, don't ya think? question: could people be worshiping during a song that is not a "worship song" simply because the truth being proclaimed inspired them to worship the creator? in spirit and in TRUTH? regarding the knee jerk reaction to the name of Jesus... i hear you there, people should listen to everything being said by the rock star, especially announcements about merch and signing, but isn't it amazing that the name of Jesus still stands out when people AREN'T paying attention? wouldn't it be even more sad if they DIDN'T respond to the name of Jesus? Perhaps the performers are offended by the lack of attention THEY are being given, which is understandable. however, having been on tour, and been to a zillion j-fests, and led many a bible study or spoken before lots of artists, may i add that they themselves are hardly the best at paying attention when the Word is being delivered? Speaking of throwing around the J word... how about this, "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." How many times do performers USE the name to get cheers? How often do they sing lyrics they have copped from the holy scriptures without even thinking about the words they are saying? It is clearly a sin to use the name of God without regarding it as holy, however, where does it say that it is a sin to have a knee jerk excitement for the name of Jesus? I think my fear would be much more for the "name in vain" category.
tag, you're it.
where are ya zachy? silence is so accurate.
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